Notes:
Frank Eugene GIDEON, for whom the town of Gideon, Missouri was named, was born in Columbus, Ohio on April 6, 1851. He was the son of Henry and Lydia (Bedleheimer) Gideon. Early records list his name as Francis Eugene Gideon.
He was raised in Adams Co., IN and given a common school education. He attended high school at Van Wert, Ohio.
His youth was spent upon the farm, and, in 1873, with his brothers, Henry and John, he purchased 160 acres of land and established a mill. The lumber manufacturing partnership operated under the firm name of Gideon Bros. The firm also ran a mill in Section 29 of Benton Township. Mr. Gideon was also engaged in farming and operating a successful farm of eighty acres in Adams County. On May 17, 1874, Frank was married to Sarah Catherine Mumma, the daughter of David and Anna (Burrell) Mumma.
Two children were born to the couple, Glenn G. and Rolland.
In 1899, Frank Gideon's brother-in-law, Martin V. Mumma, visited the swamp lands of Southeast Missouri on a hunting trip. Mumma saw the possibilities of the area, and returned to report this fact to others, who became interested. In 1900, Frank Gideon, along with William P. Anderson, Marion S. Anderson, and Martin V. Mumma formed a company. The group had only about $8,000 to start the business with, but their good reputation in their home community and consistent honesty in their business dealings gave them credit. When they laid their plans before their home banker, telling him of the wonderful possibilities in timber in Southeast Missouri, he said "Go on, we will back you!"
The group initially planned to establish a saw mill in the town of Clarkton or Malden on the high ridge west of the East Swamp. However, the citizens of those communities did not look favorably toward the idea of rough logging men coming into their towns. Soon, it was decided to establish the saw mill on some high ground in the swamp three miles east of Clarkton. In October of 1901, the saw mill began full operation. Almost immediately, a town sprung up around the mill. The name of "Gideon" was given to the town in honor of Frank E. Gideon.
Mr. Gideon retained his residence in Ohio until about the year 1905, when he and Mrs. Gideon moved to Gideon. The couple resided in Gideon until 1908, when he sold his interest in the company to other stock holders. Mr. Gideon, with his family, returned to their splendid home at McGill, Ohio.
The town which was his namesake grew to a population of over 2,000 by 1950. The Gideon-Anderson Lumber Company became a multi-million dollar corporation and was, at one time, the largest manufacturer of beverage cases in the nation.
Frank Gideon died at his home in McGill, Ohio on October 23, 1919. His wife continued to reside at the family home until her death on December 31, 1926. Frank was survived by his two sons, Glenn, who owned a large farm near Payne, Ohio, and Rolland, who became a successful business man in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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